Process for making blocks.



FRANK ZAGELMEYER, 0F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

PROCESS FOR MAKING BLOCKS.

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To all whom it may concern it known that I, FRANK ZAGELMEYER, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and ticularly to an improved method for producing ornamental faces-on blocks made of concrete or similar material.

The objects of the improvement. are to provide a method by which a face may be produced of natural rock on a block made of concrete so that the face of the finished block will present a surface composed en tirely of the natural rock without showin traces of cement. I

It has heretofore beencommon in the manufacture of concrete blocks to mold the face, which usually consists in a layer of crushed rock, directly into the cement or backing of the body of the block, after which the face of the block is scrubbed with a diluted solution of'muriat-ic acid or other acid to disintegrate the cement exposed on the surface of the rock particles and thus bring out the natural color of the rock, al-

though this method leaves lines of cement exposed between the rock particles.

t is the purpose of myinvention to provide a method of facing the block with crushed rock so that no particles of cement will show on the exterior face of the block, either between the particles of rock, or upon the exposed faces of particles, thus rendering the scrubbing operation unnecessary and doing away with weakening of the face of the block by acid treatment.

A further object of my invention is to provide for firm anchorage for the particles of the rock face to the body of'the block.

A still further object is to enable a block to be provided with a face of rare or expensive rock at a very low cost. This I accomplish in my improved method loy enabling the rock face to be made exceedingly thin so that onlya very small quantity of the expensive facing is used.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb, 3, Z 591%.

Application filed August 16, 1912. Serial No. 715.377.

With these and certain other objects in View, which will appear later in the specification, my improved method consists in the following steps and the equivalents thereof.

In carrying out my method I first, coat that face of the mold which corresponds tothe exposed face of the finished block, with any suitable adhering substance capable of being dissolved by water. I prefer to use glue as a. coating for the face of the mold, but find in practice that a mixture of glue, flourand water is satisfactory for this purpose and in some cases even a mixture of flour and water is suitable. Having coated the face of the mold with an adhesive substance, I next spread over the adhesive surface a layer of the crushed rock, or other material to be used for the exterior surface of the block. This spreading is preferably accomplished by covering the gummed face of the mold" with the crushed rock and thentipping up the mold so that the surplus rock drops away. 1 next cover the first layer, which is of icoarser' material, with a second layer of finer material. The finer particles of-this second layer fall between the coarser par ticles and adhere to such parts of the gummed surface as are left'ezrposed in the voids of the larger particles that are already adhering to the surface. The surface to which the second layer of finer particles has been applied is then tipped up and shaken in the same manner as before to remove the surplus of finer particlesthat have not ad bored to the mold surface. Similarly I apply a third layer of still finer particles to fill the remaining voids and remove the surplus as before. By this means I cover the entire surface of the face of the mold with a thinlayer of rock. I then coat this layer of rock with neat or very rich cement mixed with suflicient water to reduce it to about'the consistency of thick paint. This may be done by pouring the liquid cement over the mold, or by applying it with a brush, or both. I then fill the mold with concrete made sufliciently thin to pour easily, thus forminga body or backing of the blocl i As thematerial' of the block sets, the moisture disintegra-tes the adhesive and when the block is sufliciently set it maybe removed from the mold and it will be found that the resulting exposed surface of the block is free from all traces of cement and that the glue" face 0 heblock, in which case it may be 100: ed and blown away by directing a jet of me against the face of the block.

Ly the means above described I have devise-fl a method of making a concrete block harr a natural rock face that exactly Inc in color and general appearance the natural rock of which the facing is made.

Even in blocks made atvery low cost it is to employ What would otherwise be 182:? expensive facing material, for the real. is used. The particles of the facare firmly cemented to the body of the the coating of neat cement.

L s only a very small amount of facing What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l The herein described method of making a faced block, consisting in: first, coating with adhesive a face of the mold in which the block is made; second, covering the adhesive surface with particles of facing material in a coarse state; third, removing such particles as do not adhere; fourth, covering the spaces between coarse particles with a layer of finer particles; fifth, removing such particles as do not adhere; sixth, covering the exposed surface of said particles with liquid, neat, or 'rieh cement; seventh, filling the mold with wet concrete and allowing it to set; and finally removing the block from the mold. v

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ZAGELMEYER.

Witnesses: v

CHRISTINE A. BRAIDEL, VVI FRED DE VAN'EY.

a. patent may be attained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ext Eatente. 

